one-handed ball

Chapter 346 The Gap
The Lakers' physical crisis broke out in the second half of the third quarter.

Although Artest rested for 15 minutes in midfield, it was too late to recover from his intense physical exertion.Not everyone has the skills to supplement physical strength like Zheng Ke!

Zheng Ke only felt that the breakthrough was much easier suddenly, Artest's footsteps moved more slowly, and he felt as slow as ants crawling.

"Hu~~"

Accompanied by the sound of the wind, Zheng Ke brushed past Artest's body, and after a big leap, he flicked his forefoot and flew away like catkins.

"Shh!"

21 points.Zheng Ke laughed out loud in his heart, and the corners of his mouth rose slightly, revealing a smile.

Artest was thrusting his waist, panting heavily, his chest was heaving unceasingly, like a bellows, obviously his physical strength was on the verge of breaking out.

Phil Jackson wrinkled deeply in the media. He turned his head and looked at the Lakers' bench, but he couldn't find a suitable small forward defensive substitute.Could it be that the Lakers really have no hope of defeating the Timberwolves?Phil Jackson felt great sadness in his heart. It is a great irony that the defending champion should be swept away in the regular season.

"Coach, let me go!"

Bynum seemed to see Phil Jackson's embarrassment, so he volunteered.

"You? Are you going to guard Zheng Ke?" Phil Jackson asked angrily.

"I" Bynum was blushed by Phil Jackson's words, he faltered, and then spoke clearly for a long time.

It turned out that Bynum wanted to imitate the Timberwolves' three-inside tactic in the first half, using him, Gasol and Odom to form a tall inside defensive lineup, so that at least they would not be suddenly killed by Zheng Ke.And Odom is fast, more than enough to serve as a small forward.

Phil Jackson was lost in thought, three insiders?To be honest, he was moved, but the Lakers have never trained like this before, and Zheng Ke is not Odom, and Zheng Ke's long-range attack power is extremely amazing. Such a lineup is bound to make Zheng Ke and other Timberwolves outside players get a lot. With fewer shots, the Timberwolves' fast break will inevitably become more difficult to defend.It can be said that this is a set of tactics where risks and opportunities coexist.

"Coach, let me go! Ron can't even run anymore!" Bynum said anxiously: "If you change, there is still a glimmer of life. If you don't change, you can only wait for death!"

Bynum actually said such philosophical words, which really surprised Phil Jackson!
Immediately, he laughed a couple of times, he didn't expect that he couldn't even compare with a young man.He made a decisive decision, put his hands in his mouth and whistled, and at the same time applied to the referee for a timeout.

The Lakers requested a timeout with 2:45 left in the third quarter.

At this time, the Timberwolves have led 66 to 59 by 7 points, and this quarter has won the Lakers by 8 points in a single quarter.Zheng Ke has also scored 8 points in a single quarter, and that terrifying scoring machine is showing its power.

"Artest has no energy, and the Lakers have nothing to do!" Love said in Zheng Ke's ear when he was off the court. His ability to read the game has improved.

"Indeed. The small forward on the bench is Luke Walton. He is a complete idiot!" Jordan said on the other side of Zheng Ke. This guy has always had a big mouth, but fortunately he said it in private Well, if nonsense is spread in the media, it may cause some war of words.

But Luke Walton is indeed average.He signed a 07-year 6 million contract with the Lakers in 3000. At that time, the 06-07 season happened to be his peak season. He averaged 11.4 points, 5 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game, and his shooting percentage was 47.4. The three-point shooting percentage is 38.7.But since then he has been completely reduced to a soy sauce guy, not even as good as Vujacic. He has served as the Lakers' substitute for dozens of games this season, shooting 32.8 from the field and only 23.5 from the three-point range. His defensive ability is not worth mentioning.

Le Fu and Xiao Qiaodan walked down with Zheng Ke sandwiched between the left and the right, like two guardians on the left and right.

After more than 2 minutes, the timeout ended and players from both sides returned to the field.

"what!"

Zheng Ke narrowed his eyes, and he found that the Lakers had replaced three tall insiders.At almost the same moment, he remembered the results of Thibodeau's three inside tactics in the first half. "Interesting, is it trying to stop my breakthrough?"

Odom is originally a player who swings between the third and fourth positions, but in recent years in the Lakers, he has played more power forwards and point guards, and he has been very good at the small forward position.Among other things, with this height and weight, at least Zheng Ke's back hitting will not be as easy as before.

Zheng Ke didn't even think about playing back-to-back singles, he wasn't so arrogant yet.

In the Lakers' first wave of offense, Odom held the ball from the outside, and Zheng Ke leaned in very far. His long arms were like a poisonous snake waiting for an opportunity, ready to deliver a fatal blow at any time.

Odom's face darkened, thinking of Zheng Ke's terrifying steal data, he was a little flustered, and his hand movements were slightly deformed.

"Chance!"

Zheng Ke's eyes lit up, he pressed his shoulders down, and the biceps of his arms tensed up instantly, like a long gun, precisely stabbing Odom's unsteady basketball.

Suddenly, there was an irresistible force from the basketball in his hand. Odom's big hand couldn't catch the basketball at all, and he watched the basketball roll forward.

"Oops!" Odom turned around immediately, wanting to get stuck on Zheng Ke's way forward.

"Bang!" Zheng Ke, like a bull, unreasonably knocked away Odom's body, and then rushed forward with extreme arrogance, while lowering his body's center of gravity.

Zheng Ke picked up the basketball on the ground and went to the frontcourt alone. At this time, the Lakers had given up their defense.

With ease, Zheng Ke completed the side-handed tomahawk split.

Phil Jackson felt his eyes darken. He had just decided on the tactics, and then such a low-level mistake immediately occurred. How dare he be distracted while dribbling in front of Zheng Ke?

Naturally, he attributed Odom's lapses to his former on-court distractions.

68 to 59, the point difference expanded to 9 points.

Kobe couldn't stand it anymore. He turned around after halftime, then stretched out his arms, and shouted for the ball to Fisher. "I come!"

After receiving the basketball, Kobe pouted his butt, then straightened his body, feeling the strength of Afflalo's defense.

Afflalo was ready to fight, and raised his arms high in a jump, ready to attack at any time.

"Humph!"

Kobe snorted coldly, his body muscles tensed, and he slammed into Afflalo!

Afflalo couldn't bear it, and took a small step back. Kobe went up with him, then hugged the basketball, his shoulders shook for a while, and after shaking to the left, he turned to the right and leaned back.

"Bang!" "Swish!"

After the basketball hit the board high, it fell into the basket with precision.

Afflalo smiled wryly and shook his head. Zheng Ke used this kind of offensive defense when he was training with Zheng Ke before. The movements are also a lot less, and it is equally difficult to defend.

Offensive and defensive rotation, it is the Timberwolves' turn to attack.

The average height of the Lakers today is higher than that of the Timberwolves. Pau Gasol and Bynum are two seven-footers, and Odom is 2 meters tall. They are obviously taller than players in the same position as the Timberwolves.

But the basketball game is not only useful if you are tall. After Zheng Ke went out to get the ball from the outside, he found that the Lakers' outside defense was a little lax. He turned his head to the left, but the basketball he grabbed was thrown to the right.

With an extremely fast cross-air pass, Afflalo, near the 40-degree three-point line, took the basketball.

"Shuh!"

He hit a three-pointer.

After the goal, Afflalo was also very excited. He made an OK gesture with his right hand, pointed three fingers to the ground, and then swiped across to indicate that he made a three-pointer.

71 to 61, the point difference increased to 10 points.

Fans of the Lakers suddenly discovered that their team was actually defeated by others in the third quarter, which often exploded before.The two teams who also like to explode in the third quarter meet, and they are destined to win or lose. Unfortunately, the Timberwolves have the upper hand.

Such a result is definitely not what Kobe wanted, and he made a request to continue playing on the court in the fourth quarter.

Phil Jackson thought for a while before agreeing to Kobe's request.And his arrangement made the Lakers' strength in the scene at the beginning of the fourth quarter higher than that of the Timberwolves by a large margin.

"Elder people dare to play like this, I'm afraid you won't succeed?" Thibodeau was also angry, waved his hand, found an opportunity, and also sent Zheng Ke on the field.

Really don't give a chance at all!

After Zheng Ke came on the court, he broke through the small tie rod and hit a layup, which aroused the dissatisfaction of the Lakers fans, especially the Timberwolves coach Thibodeau, who was in line.

Thibodeau still doesn't know that his arrangement has made him the object of dissatisfaction among Lakers fans. Although it is a bit inexplicable, he has indeed become the most hated figure in the Los Angeles area among the Timberwolves, except for Zheng Ke.No way, who made the Timberwolves' second-in-command, Carrefour, come from a university in Los Angeles?He still has some fan base in the local area.

After more than ten minutes on the court, the time entered more than 5 minutes before the end. At this time, the Timberwolves still led by nearly 10 points, and the Lakers could barely guarantee that the point difference would not be widened.

At 4 minutes and 37 seconds, Zheng Ke sent a wonderful pass to Love. Love hit a key three-pointer and the Timberwolves led by 13 points.

At 3 minutes and 41 seconds, Kobe made a two-plus-one layup after the breakthrough, bringing the point difference back to within 10 points for the Lakers.

At 2 minutes and 12 seconds, Zheng Ke received a pass from Billups, turned around and passed the re-entering Artest, and showed a huge European step in front of Gasol, who was born in Europe, and hit two hits on the board. points, the point difference becomes 11 points.

At 1 minute and 08 seconds, Kobe missed a three-pointer from the outside, and there was no hope of a complete victory.

In the end, the Timberwolves defeated the Lakers 97 to 87 with a 10-point difference. Zheng Ke scored 29 points, 7 rebounds and 9 assists in a quasi-triple-double. He also sent 5 steals and 2 blocks, but only 1 turnover, leading the Timberwolves to win the team's first big enemy in March!
(End of this chapter)